The Ore Castle, located at the entrance of the Plant District, was much smaller and simpler in design compared to the other buildings. The maids serving the princesses here were affiliated with the Credion Empire.

They gathered once a week to report on the princesses’ activities and to receive instructions on what to teach and any special matters that needed attention.

Milla stepped into Ore Castle for the first time in three months. The princess she had previously served had succumbed to homesickness and passed away.

Due to her failure to properly care for her mistress, Milla had spent two months in the underground prison, and her carefully built reputation had vanished like smoke in an instant. She now had to rebuild everything from the ground up.

“Isn’t that Milla?”

“Yeah, I thought we’d never see her again.”

Some maids who spotted Milla whispered while glancing in her direction. The looks directed at her varied from wariness and contempt to pity and dismissal.

However, Milla held her head high and sat down in an empty spot on the long bench. Everyone continued to whisper from a distance, not daring to approach her.

Just as she thought it was fortunate not to be bothered, she sensed someone nearby.

“It’s been a while, Milla. How have you been?”

The friendly greeting came from Beth, who was serving Princess Margaret, the youngest at Maple Castle.

Beth, whom Milla had first met five years ago when they came here for the maid exam, was the only person Milla spoke to.

“And you?”

“I’m doing well. Princess Margaret takes good care of me.”

Beth’s expression was brighter than ever, indicating that her words were sincere. As Milla smiled back, relieved, Beth suddenly glanced around and asked in a hushed voice.

“How’s Princess Stella? Is she really as strange as the rumors say?”

Beth seemed to have come as a representative of the maids to find out about Princess Stella.

“What rumors?”

When Milla frowned and asked, Beth briefly looked uncomfortable before leaning even closer to Milla’s ear and whispering. Everyone pretended not to look while straining to listen.

“There are rumors that she’s mentally unstable.”

“Why?”

“You really don’t know?”

While Milla had thought the princess was unusual, she had never considered her to be insane. Beth looked at Milla with pity and whispered again.

“Hannah saw her talking as if someone was there when no one was around. She said the princess would laugh by herself and then get angry, even digging the ground like a madwoman.”

Milla sighed deeply after hearing Beth’s story.

Hannah was a maid known for her loose lips and her penchant for exaggerating stories. Others were aware of Hannah’s tendency to embellish, yet they still listened eagerly, as her tales weren’t entirely false.

It seemed Hannah had recently seen Princess Stella in front of the stone pile.

“That’s not true. I was there across from her at that time.”

“But I heard there was no one else there.”

“Beth, wouldn’t I know Princess Stella best? I spend the most time with her.”

“I, I guess so?”

“And we all know how much Hannah exaggerates.”

Milla said this quite loudly, as if she wanted Hannah, who wasn’t far away, to hear. Someone chuckled, and Hannah shot Milla a glare.

“That’s true.”

As Beth nodded, Milla leaned close to her ear and spoke in a firm voice.

“So don’t go around spreading unconfirmed facts. Have you already forgotten what happened to Nansher?”

Beth clamped her mouth shut at the mention of Nansher’s name. Among the maids, Nansher had become a name not to be spoken openly. The previously buzzing room fell silent, as if cold water had been poured over it.

I should have mentioned Nansher’s name earlier, Milla thought.

“I’m sorry. I was just worried about you.”

As Beth spoke in a soft voice, Milla called her name with a sigh.

“Beth.”

“I’ll be more careful from now on.”

Beth, as always, quickly admitted her mistake and asked for forgiveness.

This was also why Milla didn’t push Beth away when she approached. Beth was genuine, with no talent for deceiving or manipulating anyone.

Being close to Beth allowed Milla to gather relatively accurate rumors and information circulating around. Of course, it was Milla’s responsibility to filter out any baseless claims.

A moment later, a maid who appeared to be in her early thirties entered, standing as straight as bamboo in front of the long table. Her hairstyle, tightly pulled up without any common hair accessories, resembled Milla’s.

Most maids adorned themselves with accessories or hair ornaments received from the princesses they served, and Beth was no exception.

Princess Margaret seemed to have a fondness for butterflies, as a butterfly charm sparkled on Beth’s necklace.

“Let’s begin the meeting. Glory to the Credion Empire.”

As the maid standing in front led the chant, the seated maids repeated the same phrase like a round song. Beth and Milla also opened their mouths simultaneously from their seats.

“Glory to the Credion Empire.”

“Glory to the Credion Empire.”

“We’ll start with the report from Chambre Castle.”

Anne spoke in a solemn and rigid voice without any particular procedure before entering a small room on one side. The maid sitting across from Milla abruptly stood up and followed her.

She was a maid affiliated with Chambre Castle, holding a notebook similar to Milla’s.

The weekly wage that maid would receive depended on how much time passed after that door closed before she emerged. The longer she stayed, indicating there was more valuable information to hear, the higher her weekly wage would be.

Milla took a deep breath as she glanced down at the notebook she was holding.

A moment later, Anne and the maid who had entered the room came out, the latter with her head bowed low. It seemed that things hadn’t gone well.

An older maid waiting by the door dropped a single silver coin into the palm of the young maid who had just exited. Although it was a considerable amount compared to what commoners earned, disappointment was evident on her face.

“We’ll now hear the report from Camelia Castle.”

Beth stood up abruptly, her face tense as her turn came sooner than expected. In her hand was a crumpled notebook. Despite her nerves, Beth consistently received a high weekly wage.

Beth’s eyes, filled with curiosity and a tendency to meddle, rarely missed anything. This was also why, despite her seemingly careless demeanor, she wasn’t disrespected by the other maids.

“I’ll be back.”

After a while, Beth emerged from the room, her face flushed. The maid waiting at the door placed a small pouch in Beth’s palm.

Beth accepted the money pouch with a bright smile and left immediately. Maids who had finished their reports were no longer allowed to stay in Ore Castle.

After a few more maids reported, it was finally Milla’s turn.

“We’ll now hear the report from Verdura Castle.”

Milla stood up with her notebook in hand. It was time to exchange the daily records she had kept for money.

***

As Ark had promised, the carrots sprouted small, pretty shoots the very next day. Stella paced around the sprouted area for a long time, unable to believe the scene before her.

“What should I do now?”

The sprouts that had broken through the moist soil were adorable. Stella, experiencing this strange new feeling for the first time, didn’t know what to do and wandered around the sprouts like a puppy in fresh snow.

“By tomorrow, the sprouts will grow about this much.”

Ark said, spreading his arms about shoulder-width apart. It was hard to believe they would grow that much overnight, but since shoots had sprouted from seeds planted yesterday, anything seemed possible.

Stella listened attentively to Ark’s words, like a good student heeding her teacher. Pleased with Stella’s focused expression, Ark deepened his voice and continued his explanation.

Esta, standing nearby, shook his head like he was witnessing something unbearable, but Ark paid no attention.

“You need to thin them out, leaving only the ones in good condition. Don’t forget to maintain spacing so they’re not too close together. Of course, we planted them spaced out, but you never know.”

“What do I do with the ones I thin out? Should I plant them somewhere else?”

“You can throw them away or plant them.”

“Then I’ll plant them.”

Stella didn’t want to discard even a single small sprout. Perhaps because it was the first time seeds she had planted with her own power had sprouted, each one felt incredibly precious.

“Princess, where are you?”

While Stella was intently observing the sprouts, Milla’s voice called out. Stella stood up abruptly, suddenly remembering something she had forgotten.

It was time to receive information about her new schedule. As much as she wanted to stay beside the carrot sprouts all day, she couldn’t.

Stella turned around with a look of clear regret and bid farewell to the earth spirits.

“I’ll be back.”

“Okay! We’ll take care of them while you’re gone.”

While Esta waved goodbye, Ark stood next to the carrot sprouts with his legs spread wide, raising and lowering his arms repeatedly, just as he had done on the day they planted the seeds.

It looked as if he was hypnotizing the green carrot sprouts to grow quickly. After confirming a faint light rising from the ground, Stella turned around.